cercaria

cercaria

[ser-kar´e-ah] (pl. cerca´riae) (L.)

the final, free-swimming larval stage of a trematode parasite.

cer·car·i·a

, pl.

cer·car·i·ae

(ser-kā'rē-ă, -rē-ē),

The free-swimming trematode larva that emerges from its host snail; it may penetrate the skin of a final host (as in Schistosoma of humans), encyst on vegetation (as in Fasciola), in or on fish (as in Clonorchis), or penetrate and encyst in various arthropod hosts. Body and tail are greatly varied in form, and specialized function is adapted to the particular life cycle demands of each species.See also: sporocyst (1), redia.

cercaria

cercaria

(sər-kâr′ē-ə)

n.pl.cercar·iae(-ē-ē′) or cercar·ias

A larva of a trematode, which develops from a sporocyst or a redia.

cer·car′i·al adj.

cercaria

[sərker′ē·ə]pl. cercariae

Etymology: Gk, kerkos, tail

a minute, wormlike early developmental form of trematode. It develops in a freshwater snail, is released into the water, and swims toward the sun, rising to the surface of the water in the warmest part of the day. Cercariae enter the body of the next host by ingestion, by direct invasion through the skin, or through a cut or other break in the skin. Some cercariae of the genera Schistosoma, Chlonorchis, Paragonimus, Fasciolopsis, and Fasciola are known to infect humans. They encyst and complete their development in various organs of the body. Each species tends to migrate to one organ, such as Fasciola hepatica, which grows to become a liver fluke. See also fluke,schistosomiasis.

cer·car·i·a

, pl. cercariae (sĕr-kar'ē-ă, -ē)

The free-swimming trematode larva that emerges from its host snail; it may penetrate the skin of a final host, encyst on vegetation, or in or on fish, or penetrate and encyst in various arthropod hosts. Body and tail are greatly varied in form, and specialized functions are adapted to the particular life-cycle demands of each species. See also: sporocyst (1)

[G. kerkos, tail]

cercaria

The tailed, swimming larva of a trematode worm, such as a SCHISTOSOME.

cercaria

the last larval stage of the liver FLUKE. It lives in the freshwater snail Limnaea, produces a cyst round itself and develops into the adult fluke after ingestion by a sheep or another primary host.

Cercaria (plural, cercariae)

An intermediate-stage of the fluke larva, released into water by infected snails.

00 TABLE 5--The number of red-rim melania snails Melanoides tubculatus collected in 1999 and 2011 from spring systems in western Texas and the average percentage of individuals infected with cercaria of Centrocestus formosanus and other trematodes.

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